Two federal agents who participated in the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday have been placed on administrative leave, as confirmed by a spokesperson from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The spokesperson mentioned that this action is in accordance with standard procedure and that the agents have been on leave since the incident occurred over the weekend.
Video footage captured from various angles shows immigration agents firing multiple shots at Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at a hospital for veterans. This incident marked the second fatal encounter between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and U.S. citizens in Minnesota this month, leading to widespread national outcry.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that they are currently reviewing the details surrounding the shooting to gain a better understanding of the events that transpired.
In response to the tragic event, Pretti’s parents have enlisted the services of a former federal prosecutor who played a key role in securing a murder conviction for the police officer involved in the George Floyd case. Steve Schleicher, a partner at the Minneapolis law firm Maslon, is representing Michael and Susan Pretti on a pro bono basis, according to a family representative.
Pretti, aged 37, was legally carrying a handgun for which he had a permit, and video evidence suggests that one officer had disarmed him before two others opened fire. Initial reports from the U.S. government did not mention Pretti brandishing a firearm, despite earlier statements by Trump administration officials emphasizing the presence of a weapon.
Following the shooting, top officials from the Trump administration portrayed Pretti as the aggressor, a narrative that was swiftly contradicted by video evidence from the scene. The Department of Homeland Security stated that Pretti approached officers with a 9-mm semi-automatic handgun but failed to mention that the weapon was holstered.
The review of the incident conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, spearheaded by the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility and shared with lawmakers on Tuesday, is part of standard procedure to ensure transparency. According to CBP spokesperson Hilton Beckham, these notifications offer an initial overview of the event but do not provide definitive conclusions or investigative findings.